Darwinian Detectives: Revealing the Natural History of Genes and Genomes
by Norman A. Johnson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Norman A. JohnsonEdition: Hardcover
Published: 2007-07-06
ISBN: 0195306759
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Darwinian Detectives: Revealing the Natural History of Genes and Genomes
Book Review: An excellent book and a must-read for the student of evolutionary biology
Summary: 5 Stars
Norm Johnson has done an excellent job with a complex topic, and this book is one that should be read by every student of evolution. With a crisp, engaging writing style, Johnson does a wonderful job illuminating evolutionary topics ranging from Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution to the evolutionary histories of both dogs and their owners. Complex topics such as the detection of positive selection and the mysteries of genome size variation are laid out in plain language that even the most "mathophobic" reader will find a pleasure to behold. Any graduate student in biology who is preparing for a preliminary oral examination would do well to add Darwinian Detectives to their reading list, because it is a great way to learn the answers to questions that many professors will ask in such an exam. The previous reviewer's comparison to Gould is not undeserved; Dr. Johnson has the potential to rank among the greats in the next generation of popularizers of science, a role that becomes more and more important as science marches to ever greater heights of complex discovery.
Summary of Darwinian Detectives: Revealing the Natural History of Genes and Genomes
Biology is often viewed today as a bipartisan field, with molecular level genetics guiding us into the future and natural history (including ecology, evolution, and conservation biology,) chaining us to a descriptive scientific past. In Darwinian Detectives, Norman Johnson bridges this divide, revealing how the tried and true tools of natural history make sense of the newest genomic discoveries. Molecular scientists exploring newly sequenced genomes have stumbled upon quite a few surprises, including that only one to ten percent of the genetic material of animals actually codes for genes. What does the remaining 90-99% of the genome do? Why do some organisms have a much lower genome size than their close relatives? What were the genetic changes that were associated with us becoming human? As molecular biologists uncover these and other new mysteries, evolutionary geneticists are searching for answers to such questions. Norman Johnson captures the excitement of the hunt for our own genetic history. Through lively anecdotes, he explores how researchers detect natural selection acting on genes and what this genetic information tells us about human origins.General Books
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